2 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Taijuan Walker had a miserable outing against the New York Mets on Thursday, surrendering eight runs in just 3 ⅓ IP. Walker gave up six hits, including four homers, and also walked three. The 32-year-old veteran just doesn't have it this year, pitching to an abysmal 6.91 ERA and 1.67 WHIP while being relegated to the bullpen at times. He shouldn't have a spot in the Phillies rotation come playoffs and will be hard-pressed to start for them next year unless he can find some of what he's lost.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Zack Littell continued his impressive stretch on Thursday, shutting out the Boston Red Sox for seven innings and earning his eighth win in a 2-0 victory. Littell was completely dominant in this one, allowing just one hit and walking no one while punching out seven. This makes three straight outings where the 28-year-old hasn't given up a run or allowed more than three hits. It's been a good campaign overall for Littell, and he could earn himself a spot in Tampa's 2025 rotation with the way he's pitched. The righty has one start left this year against the feisty Detroit Tigers, and fantasy managers who are in a pickle certainly could do worse than Littell.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoWashington Nationals shortstop
CJ Abrams was seeing the ball well on Thursday, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, and two stolen bases in a 7-6 loss against the Chicago Cubs. Abrams reached the 30-steal mark with his two swipes as he continues to be one of the game's premiere thieves. While his power and speed numbers remain very good, Abrams has struggled tremendously in the second half, with an OPS of .572 in July, .569 in August, and .656 in September coming into this one. He should remain a solid fantasy option in 2025, but managers should be aware that prolonged slumps are likely with Abrams.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Brandon Pfaadt turned in one of his best outings of the year on Thursday, limiting the Milwaukee Brewers to one run over seven innings. Pfaadt struck out 12, walked none, and allowed just two hits. His dominance in this one came out of nowhere, as he had allowed at least three earned runs in his last six starts and was just destroyed by the Brewers last Saturday, where he allowed eight runs in just 1 ⅔ IP. If any fantasy managers did have them in their lineups for some reason, it turned out to be a great decision. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that many did. The 25-year-old lines up for one last start next week against the San Francisco Giants. Fantasy managers should be wary of this one good start, but consider Pfaadt as a high-risk option next week.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher
Logan Gilbert tossed 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball while striking out nine batters en route to earning his eighth victory of the summer on Thursday against the New York Yankees. This was a nice bounce-back outing for the 27-year-old, as he carried a 4.50 ERA across his previous three outings. Overall through his fourth season in the big leagues, Gilbert sits with a sold 3.24 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and a 36:207 BB:K. He has showcased excellent command with a near-perfect 4.6% walk rate and has generated whiffs at an above-average 30.8% rate. Gilbert is scheduled to close out his 2024 campaign with a divisional matchup against the Houston Astros next week.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoToronto Blue Jays first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 3-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI, and a stolen base in Thursday's victory over the Texas Rangers. The infielder launched two solo shots in the seventh and ninth innings. The 25-year-old has enjoyed an excellent bounce-back campaign after falling short over the past two seasons following his remarkable 2021 MVP campaign. This summer, Guerrero has held a stellar .322/.397/.553 slash line with 30 long balls and two swiped bags. His underlying metrics were remarkable, with a 55.6% hard-hit rate and 94.0 mph average exit velocity, suggesting he may have continued his development this summer. Guerrero should be one of the first corner infielders taken in drafts next spring due to his elite batting average and high-upside power production.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoCleveland Guardians second baseman
Andres Gimenez went 3-for-5 with a double and two singles on Thursday afternoon. Gimenez tallied his lone RBI in walk-off fashion as he scored
Jose Ramirez on a ground ball to right field. The 26-year-old has been productive in the batter's box this month, carrying a .263/.291/.382 line with two home runs, three doubles, and five stolen bases. This season, the infielder has reached the 30-stolen base mark for the second-straight campaign while holding a modest .251 AVG. While his power production is inconsistent, fantasy managers should continue to count on the 26-year-old to be a threat on the basepaths.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Anthony Santander went 1-for-3 with a two-run, walk-off shot and two walks on Thursday afternoon. Santander launched his 42nd long ball of the summer off San Francisco right-hander
Ryan Walker to power the Orioles to a victory. Santander entered this game carrying a mere .100 AVG across his previous five games, so this could be a nice outing to build momentum. The 29-year-old switch-hitter has enjoyed his first 40-home run campaign this season while carrying a .238/.310/.511 line. Even though his batting average has not been stable, Santander has been one of the best power hitters in baseball this summer. Fantasy managers should continue to keep Santander locked into their starting lineups over the final week of the summer, given his high-power upside.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoAtlanta Braves first baseman
Matt Olson went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Thursday's victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The 30-year-old has begun to heat up at the plate and is carrying an impressive .317/.432/.567 line with nine extra-base hits and a 13:9 BB:K ratio since the start of the month. Overall, Olson has had a down year to his standards, tallying only 28 home runs compared to the 54 he hit last season. Under the hood, he still carries an above-average 12.2% barrel rate and 43.6% hard-hit rate, which suggests the power surge should continue throughout the rest of the season. Fantasy managers should always leave Olson in their starting lineup and could be worth a look in DFS formats while he enjoys this hot stretch.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoAtlanta Braves outfielder
Michael Harris II went 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and four RBI on Thursday afternoon to lead the Braves to a statement victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The 23-year-old hit his first long ball of the afternoon in the eighth inning and went deep again in the following frame. Harris has launched four home runs in his past three games and is riding a three-game home runs streak. Since returning from the IL on August 14, Harris has gone deep ten times with a .254 AVG and .493 SLG. The budding outfielder missed a majority of the campaign due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain but looks to be rounding into form as the Braves hope to claim one of the final wild card spots. Harris should remain locked into all starting lineups during the final week of the season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoNew York Yankees All-Star outfielder
Juan Soto (knee) is set to undergo X-rays on his left knee, but manager Aaron Boone emphasized that the star outfielder should be fine, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. Soto further noted that he will see how he feels on Friday before returning to the starting nine. On Thursday, Soto attempted to make a catch while crashing into the wall along foul territory. He was able to remain in the game, so the injury does not look to be too serious. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Yankees lineup over the weekend before putting Soto into their lineups, as he may be kept out of a few games for cautionary reasons. In his first season in the Bronx, Soto has exceeded all expectations by posting an incredible .286/.418/.575 slash line with 40 round-trippers.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Garry Phillips
2 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers designated hitter
Shohei Ohtani went 6-for-6 with three home runs, 10 RBI, and two stolen bases en route to becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and swipe 50 bags in a single season. This game was the culmination of the remarkable season the 30-year-old has had. Through his first season in Los Angeles, the two-time MVP winner has carried a stellar .293/.375/.624 slash line with 51 home runs and 51 stolen bases. Under the hood, he boasts an incredible 20.7% barrel rate, 59.3% hard-hit rate, and a 95.4 mph average exit velocity, which are the top marks in each statistic among qualified hitters. Despite only serving as a designated hitter this season, Ohtani has cemented himself as the front-runner for the NL MVP award after making history. Next season, Ohtani is expected to return to the mound as well and should be the consensus No. 1 pick in fantasy drafts next spring.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoToronto Blue Jays right-hander
Kevin Gausman (back) said his back tightened up on his last warm-up pitch before being pulled early in Thursday's start against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, but as of now, he isn't overly concerned and expects to make his final regular-season start next Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox. Regardless, the 33-year-old veteran will be a bit more risky for fantasy managers that are still playing for a championship next week against Boston. Before being pulled on Thursday, Gausman tossed five scoreless innings with one walk and six strikeouts to pick up his 13th victory of the season in the team's 4-0 win over Texas. He now has a 3.91 ERA and 1.22 WHIP on the season heading into the final week of the regular season. In two starts against Boston in 2024, Gausman has allowed nine runs (seven earned) while walking four and striking out nine in 11 2/3 innings pitched.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet.ca - Ben Nicholson-Smith
2 days agoNew York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that right-handed reliever
Luke Weaver could close "a lot" of games but didn't exactly anoint him as the closer, saying "it may turn out that Luke comes into a spot in the sixth inning and gets four or five important outs when the game is on the line."
Clay Holmes was recently demoted as the team's primary closer, and the 31-year-old Weaver has picked up two saves since then. In addition to his two saves, Weaver has been downright dominant with 16 strikeouts and only three walks in 7 1/3 scoreless innings since Holmes was demoted. He has been solid for the Yankees in 59 appearances out of their bullpen in his first full season with the Bronx, posting a 3.02 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 95 strikeouts and 26 walks in 80 1/3 innings. With the way he's been pitching of late, Weaver is probably the best bet for save chances down the stretch and into the postseason in October.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Newsday - Erik Boland
2 days agoAtlanta Braves second baseman
Ozzie Albies (wrist) will return from the 10-day injured list on Friday in time for the team's series opener in Miami against the division-rival Marlins. Because Albies was still dealing with discomfort in his wrist when swinging from the left side, the switch-hitting infielder is going to hit exclusively from the right side upon his return to the big leagues. The 27-year-old is recovered from a fractured left wrist that he suffered at the end of July. Because of all the time that Albies has missed and the fact that he isn't 100 percent, the Braves could choose to ease him into the lineup and could even have him platoon at the keystone with
Whit Merrifield as the team looks to get back into a wild-card spot in the National League. Albies was hitting .258/.310/.407 with eight home runs, 46 RBI and eight steals in 361 at-bats before injuries his wrist this summer.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Justin Toscano
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